Indonesian Kalbe Farma to Distribute Remdesivir for Covid-19

Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian pharmaceutical company, PT Kalbe Farma, is collaborating with the Indian company PT Amarox Pharma Global to bring in the remdesivir drug under the Covifor selling brand to treat Covid-19 patients.

Covifor is the first remdesivir product to get approval for emergency use (emergency use authorization) from the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) in Indonesia.

“Starting today, the goods are ready to be distributed throughout Indonesia,” said PT Kalbe Farma President Director Vidjongtius in a virtual press conference on Thursday as quoted from Anadolu Agency (AA).

Covifor will only be distributed to hospitals that treat Covid-19 patients in Indonesia because the permit to use it is limited for emergency situations.

This antiviral drug is priced at IDR 3 million per vial and can be even cheaper if the volume of imports is increased.

Vidjongtius also said that Kalbe Farma itself does not limit the investment value to distribute this drug in Indonesia.

The Country Manager of PT Amarox Pharma Global, Sundeep Sur, said that he could afford whatever Indonesia’s needs.

“We can prepare whatever Indonesia’s needs, currently the minimum supply to Indonesia is 200 thousand to 300 thousand vials and it can still be increased,” said Sandeep Sur.

Hetero’s Amarox Global Pharma, as the parent company of Amarox, has secured a license to produce Remdesivir in 127 countries including Indonesia from Gilead Sciences in May 2020 in order to expand access to Covid-19 treatment.

Covifor Injection products are manufactured at Hetero’s owned facility in Hyderabad, India.

Hetero is also the first company in India to launch generic remdesivir and has supplied 800,000 doses to more than 100,000 patients in various countries.

Pulmonary specialist Erlina Burhan said Covifor would be tested first on 25 Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms at the Friendship General Hospital, Jakarta.

Remdesivir has previously been found to be effective in treating Ebola patients and in many countries it has been tested for Covid-19.

According to Erlina, remdisivir is considered to prevent the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus so that the patient’s condition does not worsen.

The drug has also entered the standard for handling Covid-19 patients in Indonesia, even though it is only for emergency situations.

The trial itself will be carried out on Covid-19 positive patients aged over 18 years with severe symptoms, oxygen saturation below 94 percent, and using a mechanical ventilator.

Remdesivir will also be given when the family and patient confirm that they are willing to be involved.

However, remdesivir had side effects on the kidneys and liver so that patients with a history of abnormalities in both organs could not participate in the trial.

“The criteria are in accordance with the protocol in the Hospital Committee,” said Erlina.

She hopes that the use of remdesivir will have a good impact in increasing the cure rate for Covid-19 patients at the level of severe symptoms.

“In Indonesia, the success and cure rates for large symptomatic patients are not high, so remdesivir is an option. So far we don’t have this drug, “she explained. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)